EVADING SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 14, 16 July 1918, Page 7

EVADING SERVICE

"LAST MAN ON THE FARM"

DECLARATION BY WELLING-TON MILITAEY SERVICE: BOARD.

The Acting-Chairman of the First Wellington Military Service Board (Mr. D. M'Laren) made an important statement at the sitting of the board to-day with reference to "the last man on the farm," and the attitude of the board in regard to appeals.

Mr. M'Laren (Acting-Chairman) said: "Before I open the ordinary business of the board to-day, I want to refer to a communication with regard to the muchdebated question of 'the last man on the farm.' It has been a matter which has misled a great many people throughout the country, and we have thought it right to refer to the matter, as we find that certain designing individuals are taking advantage of the Government's declaration that production must be kept up. In a, provincial paper there appeared the following advertisement: 'A sound proposition. Be the lust man on the farm. Married or single, you are pie on. 300.acres, 26 miles from town, not much work, grows 20 baies of wool; Maoris shear sheep; you collect cheque and walk on velvet. Don't be shortsighted. Buy now. Price £100 acre. You know it's worth twice the amount. Land Agency.' I do not know whether the individual -who concocted that and sent it forth had the impression that it was going to mislead any Military Service Board. There is one thing certain, and that is the iperson will he very foolish indeed who thinks he is going to mislead this board by any appeals to selfish interests such us that. Our board from the commencement has been guided solely by what is our order of reference, ■which is Section 18 of the Military Service A&t. There we have our statutory directions. We have carefully considered the matter of keeping up production. There are two things necessary in this period of war, and those two things are to find fighting forces and at the same time keep up as far as" possible the production of the Dominion. A great many people have been disposed to set the one thing against the other. It is not a question of production or military/ service, but it is production and military service that we have to maintain. The Empire has got to- maintain both. Therefore we have viewed this question of the last man on the farm from the standpoint of tho actual conditions which exist. There have been numbers of cases that have come before us where there was one farm at the outbreak of the war. but that farm has been four or five farms by the time the appeal reached us. That tells its own story. Then we, have had numbers of instances ■Where people have only recently bought in farms; and from the evidence we have taken it is quite clear they have done so—to use a colloquialism—in order to 'get in out of the wet,' and to protect themselves from giving their services to the Empire. This board is not disposed to be misled by any of these things.. As far as possible we are acting justly and equitably to the whole body of the Citizens, and we hold that that is the only way to retain the confidence of the people of .New Zealand in the administration of the Military Service Act." '